The hard work and dedication of staff at the Whakatane District Council (WDC) came to fruition today when Sovereign CEO Symon Brewis-Weston presented a cheque for $25,000 to the Kirsty Lang Family Trust, the result of WDC winning last summer's CEO Challenge during the Sovereign Tri Series.
Sovereign issued the CEO Challenge to businesses with more than 25 staff to encourage more Kiwis to be active. The company with the highest ratio of staff participation across the Sovereign Tri Series could nominate a charity to receive $25,000.
WDC were named the inaugural winners after a staggering 85% of staff took part, and today they saw the money presented to their chosen charity, the Kirsty Lang Family Trust, much to the delight of all present.
Kirsty Lang was a valued staff member of the WDC who sadly passed away as the result of a brain tumour in 2014. The Kirsty Lang Family Trust was subsequently set up to ensure that her children were cared for in the future, given that Kirsty was the main income earner in the family.
 Pictured from left are Marty Grenfell, Whakatne District Council Chief Executive; Symon Brewis-Weston, Sovereign Insurance Chief Executive; Paget, Tyler and Rob Lang; and TriNZ Chief Executive Craig Waugh. On screen in the background is Kirsty Lang.(Photo: ikonmedia; click to enlarge) |
Sovereign CEO Symon Brewis-Weston, who was in Whakatane to personally acknowledge the efforts of the WDC and meet members of the Lang family, was delighted to be part of such a special occasion.
"After all of their hard work and dedication, I'm so pleased the prize money is going to a charity close to the hearts of everyone here at Whakatane District Council. It's been a real privilege to hand the cheque over to Kirsty Lang's family and I hope it will go some way to supporting them as they rebuild their lives," says Brewis-Weston.
WDC Chief Executive Marty Grenfell spoke with real emotion when presenting the cheque, a presentation that was made possible as a result of 153 of his staff getting outside their comfort zones and participating in the Sovereign Tri Series, many of them doing so in a triathlon for the very first time.
"The Sovereign CEO Challenge really got our staff excited about what they could achieve on both a personal and team level. The benefits have been massive – not only are we a fitter and more closely-knit team, but for many of us, there have been life-changing benefits. We've challenged and extended our boundaries and the rewards of that will be felt far into the future," he says.
"I'm hugely proud of the WDC team's response to this challenge and the fact that it means that Kirsty Lang's family will have a more secure future makes this the best possible outcome."
Kirsty Lang's husband Rob spoke on behalf of the trust, highlighting just what this contribution will mean for the family and their future.
"It's difficult to find the right words to express the family's gratitude to Kirsty's former colleagues and to Sovereign. 'Thank you' just doesn't convey the full depth of what this means to us. It was just fantastic that Sovereign had no hesitation in recognising the Kirsty Lang Family Trust as a charity that qualified for the CEO challenge prize and to receive that funding is just a dream come true," he says.
"As for all of the council staff and family members who took part, Kirsty would have laughed with delight at the thought of being a catalyst for something so huge. That so many people got involved, pushed themselves far beyond their comfort zones and achieved so much, personally and for us, is just beyond belief.
"So as inadequate as it is, thank you to everyone involved, from the bottom of our hearts."
Brewis-Weston concluded the presentation by confirming that the Sovereign CEO Challenge will return again in the summer of 2015/16 as part of the Sovereign Tri Series, and challenged businesses throughout New Zealand to follow the lead of the WDC.
"After such a successful first year, we're looking forward to even more businesses taking part next summer. The added incentive, of course, is that the winners can select another worthy charity to receive $25,000," says Brewis-Weston.
The 2015/16 Sovereign Tri season will be launched in September this year, confirming dates, venues and event options.
